As you get older, it’s easy to fall into thinking that nothing will ever be as good as it was when you were growing up. But then you watch Bluey and recognize the error of your ways.
I recently wrote about how excited I am to playRugrats: Adventures in Gameland, a platformer starringNickelodeon’s best babies set to hit PC and consoles (including the NES) in 2024. But this week I realized nostalgia isn’t the only thing that can make me want to play games based on children’s shows. Outright Games, which previously published My Friend Peppa Pig, is working with developer Artax Games on a Bluey game that will arrive November 17. I’m bizarrely excited to get my hands on it.
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If you’re not familiar, Bluey is an extremely popular Australian cartoon about a family of blue heelers. If I ignore my nostalgia for classic NickToons, I might have to admit that it’s the best children’s show I’ve ever seen. Even as an adult, it’s extremely funny, the writing is clever, and it can even be moving on occasion. I first watched an episode because my nieces love it, but my wife and I have thrown it on when we’re home by ourselves, too.
So when Bluey: The Videogame was announced this week, I was pumped. I told my friend who has three kids and was just this week complaining that he doesn’t have much time for gaming anymore, and he said that maybe this could be the way to get some more Xbox time in. Maybe, he thought, his kids would just think they were watching Bluey while he played. My excitement increased when I pulled up the trailer and saw that my friend’s plan might actually be possible — the game looks almost indistinguishable from the show much of the time. It perfectly captures the animation style that makes Australia look like a colorful paradise.
It’s hard to get a read on what exactly the game is going to play like. It looks like it may be an adventure game? But with segments where you play minigames together as a family? Maybe with some platforming elements? Information for the game doesn’t make it much clearer, withthe official Bluey websiteoffering: “Become immersed in the world of Bluey in this interactive sandbox adventure as players navigate faithfully recreated and iconic locations including Bluey’s home – fully explorable for the first time.” TheSteam pagecalls it a “brand-new story set across 4 interactive adventures.”
That doesn’t paint an especially clear picture of the mechanics, but the trailer does state that the game has co-op, allowing players to explore the Heeler home as Bluey, Bingo, Chilli, or Bandit. If my friends’ kids aren’t fooled, then this seems like a perfect first game for them to join in on together. Bluey is all about playing together as a family, so it’s fitting that the game is designed to facilitate that. And when the kids get a little older, games likeTears of the KingdomandBaldur’s Gate 3can capture the series’ improvisational “yes… and” spirit. Okay, maybe a lot older for that second one.
